The present invention relates to a roof ridge vent that enables circulation of air between a roof of a building and an underlying ceiling structure, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a vent, a roof ridge vent assembly, and a method of installing a vent on a roof ridge.
It is useful, and in many locales a building code requirement, that the attic area of a building be provided with a means to permit air exchange. The ventilation prevents undue heat buildup that can render the living quarters of the building uncomfortable and that can impose unreasonable energy requirements for cooling. Proper ventilation of the attic area also preserves the structural integrity of the roof and roof coverings.
One method of venting a roof structure consists of applying a venting media over an elongate open slot formed along a roof ridge. These types of vents are known as ridge vents and enable hot and/or moist air to rise and escape from the attic area uniformly along the length of the roof ridge. Examples of ridge vents are provided by U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,595 issued to McCorsley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,613 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,472 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,432 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,673,521 issued to Coulton et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,277,024 B1 issued to Coulton, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,699 issued to Spinelli and U.S. Patent Applications Publications Nos. 2005/0136831 A1 and 2005/0090197 A1 of Coulton. Each of the above referenced patents and published applications are owned, or co-owned, by Benjamin Obdyke, Inc., the assignee of the present application. U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,950 issued to Rudeen and U.S. Pat. No. 6,662,510 B2 issued to Rotter provide examples of other roof ridge ventilation systems.
While the roof ridge vents disclosed in the above referenced patents may function in an acceptable and/or superior manner, there continues to be a need for alternatives with respect to the design, manufacture and installation of roof ridge vent products. A desired vent should permit a sufficient amount of ventilating air flow without compromising weather infiltration resistance and should be capable of being properly installed in a manner requiring labor skills possessed by the average roof installer. In addition, the vent should be capable of efficient manufacture from inexpensive materials.